ZANARKAND
by SeventhGuardian
Summary: Despite the title's obvious link to a blonde headed Blitzball star, it's actually not. Wakka's the one who "can't tonight"... Chapter II will take you into the 'real thing'. R/R, please! >>> Wikku, Wakku, WakkaxRikku, also.


DISCLAIMER: My. Gosh. You KNOW who really owns FFX and I own this fiction and blah, blah, blah.. actually, I thought this was one of my more ingenious plots. Just wait for Chapter II. It'll blow ya.  
  
A/N: Please r/r! That's the way this thing gets updated, you know? Blah, play too much FFX, pick up speaking habits. I tell you, I even said YA  
  
  
  
1.1 Intro  
  
He sputtered as he, as well as the rest of team, got out of the water. Another win: unbelievable! 179 games in a row, and all successful for the Besaid Aurochs! Never in all of Spira's history had any Blitzball team done this well, let alone without the star player of the Zanarkand Abes… and for two years!  
  
A dizzy Wakka waited for the other members to organize themselves in the locker room before he entered his victory speech. He dared a gleeful peek out the door and watched the Luca Goers also exit the draining sphere pool, whining and verbally bashing the Aurochs in low, bitter voices.  
  
He didn't mind… as long as they didn't actually win a game.  
  
"Captain Sir Wakka!" Jassu's call reached Wakka just as he turned around to reenter the pumped players' huddle.  
  
"Ah, dump the 'Sir', ya?" Wakka grinned as the Aurochs cheered. "I got something to say, so listen up!"  
  
"Aww," Botta groaned with backup sighs from Keepa, "Do you gotta do the speech, Cap'n?"  
  
"Always, always," the red-headed leader grimaced as he heard collective sighs. "Oh, deal, ya? I hope that's sarcasm I detect." He let the sentence drift, but it remained untouched by any of the blitzers. "Uh… anyway, great game! Now, remember when ex-Captain Tidus said he wouldn't let a single Auroch go a day without training until winning more games than his old team?"  
  
Everyone listening was instantly riveted to their spot, breathing quietly as if they knew what was coming. Well, they were right.  
  
"You realize we've broken the record for most wins since the Zanarkand Abes, uh, and their unfortunate, er, watery demise. Ya." Ooh, bad turn. Wakka tried to reword it quickly, but just as he was about to open his mouth again to bump out the unpleasant cold that seemed to have swept around the room, a spectacular explosion of Al Bhed trampled into the room, grabbing the thoughts of anyone prepared to speak and stuffing them in her back pocket.  
  
"Wooaaah! Say, what's all up, you Besaid Brothers??" Braids flying, Rikku leaned, now calm, against a frightened Wakka's arm.  
  
"That's Aurochs," Letty stated, immediately hushed by Wakka.  
  
"Ah, nothing, but Rikku… never mind. Okay, boys, no speech."  
  
Spontaneous celebration was up in the air before the 'ch' in 'speech' had been uttered. Actually, Wakka was relieved. He didn't really know how to recover from that- that Zanarkand remark…  
  
… Well, maybe he never did.  
  
  
  
2 …………………………………………………….ZANARKAND  
  
  
  
Chapter I: Blitzball Players Eat Free!  
  
"So, like, Lulu's in Bevelle with Yuna dealing with the devastated Maesters, you know," Rikku and Wakka led the band of islanders, all immersed in little conversations with each other, along the docks. Rikku happened to be talking with Wakka as the group frolicked along. There was a destination, of course. "When we get to the Café, I'll tell you all about it!"  
  
"Okay," Wakka agreed without thought. At the moment he was staring, very unconsciously of course, at the right side of Rikku's face. To put it bluntly, he was infatuated, even though he would never admit it. He always seemed to be stuck with her- VERY FORTUNATELY!!!! –er, sorry. Wakka's thoughts there. And considering his luck status, maybe it was true…  
  
There was just something about Rikku. Never mind trying to put your large, trembling finger on it, that's what Wakka's senses told him.  
  
Of course, it was more than just a pretty head on a perfect body. If that was all that he could see in her, he would have loathed her, HATED her.. undyingly pledged his revenge on--! Okay, you get the picture. To put it to you, she was pretty, but her frame was of an Al Bhed, a beautiful Al Bhed, but nonetheless a descendant of the race he had hated so much, and probably would still hate if she hadn't lifted the cloud of prejudice from his eyes with her own now-all-too human hands.  
  
She set him free from hatred and hasty assumptions. She set him free from a lot – sorrow, for one. She had never failed to make him smile.. well, except once or twice when his head was still as hard as a Besaid Brick with his 'beliefs'. Anger – he never did give a person just one quick glance before praising or condemning them again. Anything that had seriously plagued him was gone now, gone anytime when he was around her.  
  
And he was just, just free when he was around her. You couldn't deny if you were a passer-by, freezing to watch the conversations fired between the two. He could say anything without fear of a fist smacking his head or a jagged word being tossed beneath his belt. She was so different from Lulu…  
  
…And maybe that's another reason he adored Rikku. She wasn't Lulu, although he did care for the black mage, too. He even thought he had a hard crush on the older woman before he had been allowed to see how a lady could be. No offense to serious, somewhat dark, reclining-from-human- empathy women, that is NOT what a carefree guy like Wakka has in mind for good company. But that wasn't it, but it isn't all negative. She had just lived too long accompanying him through childhood and such.. don't ask what it is, but it is very hard to be romantically attracted to someone who you met through losing your first tooth at the same time.  
  
And the list went on, but Wakka didn't have time to run it all through his mind again before-  
  
"Hey, Captain!"  
  
Erk! Wakka's head jerked away, to the other forward. "Y-yeah, Datto?"  
  
"Nothin', Captain. Just seeing if you were awake or not, ya!" Teasing laughter erupted among the Aurochs, and even some nervous sniggers from Wakka himself.  
  
"Just kinda tired after the game. Hey, but some drinks will get us some energy, eh?" Blush crawling up his face, he couldn't help but wonder if he should smack Datto now… or later.  
  
"HEEEY!" the blonde guide suddenly stomped to a stop, holding out her arm, interrupting the troupe with an unavoidable obstacle. "Ah-ah-oh! Stop knocki– OW! WAKKA!!"  
  
The Aurochs backed up, allowing for some space between Rikku and themselves. Wakka stumbled backwards as soon as he could. "Uhh, sorry."  
  
Rikku looked sternly at the party of clumsy men. "S'okay. Well… we're here."  
  
Before them was plastered a (rather stained) sign, attached to the café's bulletin by a few rusted tacks. Wakka read aloud, "Blitzball Players Eat Free! Uh.." He paused and eyed the hastily scrawled words beneath, "…with limits." He looked behind at the others and shrugged.  
  
They entered.  
  
"Hey-hey-hey! Ain't that SIR Wakka and LADY Rikku?" The waiter behind the counter had spotted them before they had even taken one step. Oh, well. Aside from this, the rest of the room wasn't exactly intrigued by the former guardians who had just sauntered in, much more interested in washing down drinks.  
  
"Uh, hi!" Rikku fiddled a little with her belt bag, watching as the passed- over Aurochs dispersed among the tipsy crowd. She walked up to the boy who practically had his hand on Rikku's usual drink tap. "Besaid Orange- NOT spiked this time, thank you."  
  
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! That was a good night, ya?" Wakka followed. Rikku glared with her potentially hypnotizing eyes. "Ooh.. don't do that. Sorry. … Oh, yeah! Besaid Orange here, too! Uh, Rikku?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It's on me." Wakka dropped 30G into the eager youth's outstretched hands.  
  
Receiving their refreshments, the two sat down at a corner table. It wasn't by the windows, but it really didn't matter anyway since they had seen all of the Luca they wanted at the moment. It had been a week and a walloping game-a-day schedule for the two celebrities. Actually, if you were to ask them, they'd get out as soon as they could!!  
  
"I heard you're going back to rebuild Home tomorrow," Wakka grunted, keeping his eyes down as he slowly drank his Besaid Orange order.  
  
"Yeah… though I'm gonna miss you. I'll miss everyone, you know?"  
  
"Me too."  
  
"But, Wakka, you're not going anywhere."  
  
"Oh, yeah. Well, … um, okay." Wakka closed his eyes. Oh! The climax of his emotio-o-o-o-ons!! "I was thinking. Well, the Aurochs don't need me any more.."  
  
"Sure they do!" Rikku bent under Wakka's pained look. "Oh, they DON'T?"  
  
"Well," the Blitzball coach played inconspicuously with his necklace. Oh, heart, don't fail.. fu, fu.. "I was thinking."  
  
…A pause….  
  
"Yeah, bud?"  
  
"MebbeIgofixHomewitchu."  
  
…Another pause…  
  
"WAH?"  
  
"You, know, help. Botta's turning into a promising leader.. and I'm not really into the game anymore," Wakka tried to crane out of the Rikku all- seeing vision. "I'd rather do something to help someone. Blitzball is all good and, uh, ya, but it doesn't- oh, jeez; just say yes!"  
  
Rikku's grin nearly cracked her face in two. "You bet! Actually, it's REALLY REALLY REALLY great that you'd want to, because Father said that lots of Al Bhed aren't even willing to help, you know? But you wanted to know about Bevelle?"  
  
"Please carry on!" Wakka laughed, relieved to see that he was needed in rebuilding Home, after all.  
  
"Lulu's being Yuna's bodyguard in Kimahri's absence to Gagazet, right? So they both go down to Bevelle, I mean, if one goes, they both do!! Oh, but, the Maesters – they contacted Yuna, you know, to settle everything… AGAIN. Gol, and STILL! Two years after Sin's been dead and STILL!! Okay, that's all really. I don't know anything else about it! You should try and get in touch with Lulu… purr!" Rikku giggled as Wakka shook his head fervently and made pretend gagging noises.  
  
By now both of the Besaid Orange drinkers had finished and were going back up to the counter. To order more? Nah, just to bid farewell.  
  
"You okay over there, SIR? LADY?" You guessed it: counter-boy.  
  
"Yeah," Wakka watched Rikku now staging a wild pretend fit of illness, trying not to hiccup himself.  
  
"…Alright, then. Tomorrow again, eh?" The boy smiled, somewhat bringing his slight stubble into notice. "Ah, you noticed!!" Well, it wasn't a question. "In honor of you, this here beard is, SIR Wakka."  
  
"What b- ouch! Yeah, v-very nice," Wakka rubbed the Al Bhed's elbow target (his ribs) and slowly turned. "Actually, now that you mentioned it: tomorrow? Um, no, really, you see.."  
  
"I'm listening here! See my ears? Fully-functional and awaiting your wise words, SIR Wakka!!"  
  
"Just drop the Sir already. SO I'm leaving – the Blitz season's over and I've got things to do-"  
  
"Places to see, people to meet? Gwa ha HA! Cracks me-self up every time, I does.."  
  
Rikku, agitated at the delay, jumped into the conversation. "WE'RE LEAVING, YOU KNOW? GOT ME, LITTLE MAN??!"  
  
Not another word was spoken until Rikku had successfully dragged hesitant Wakka out of the Café and to a bench. Not to sit, just a farewell site.  
  
"See you tomorrow then, huh, Wakka? Dock number five?"  
  
"Yeah, tomorrow! Dock number five, yes!" As he watched Rikku leave him, he heard a tiny voice inside his head.  
  
"You can't tomorrow."  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED!! (if you.. a-hem) …  
  
  
  
A/N: Like it? Do ya? Want more? Huh, do ya, huh? Then review! PLEEAAASSEE!! It's THE WAY to get more!!  
  
BTW ACK!!!!!!!! OMGosh!!! Oh, oh, oh.. . I wasn't careful enough, noooo! I registered as thGuardian instead of 7thGuardian! I changed it, but still a close shave! Somebody call an ambulance; I feel faint!  
  
-7thGuardian  
  
PS Don't you DARE laugh. 


End file.
